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pickles

Mom’s Cucumber Pickles, Cooling for Spicy Foods

November 25, 2020 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

My mom’s cucumber pickles is such a cooling dish that complements spicy foods like curries.  Sometimes, it’s fun to serve both the pickles and curry street style on newspapers and banana leaves so it’s like I’m taking my friends on a trip to Malaysia.  I made a video to show you how to make this easy cucumber pickles in 5 minutes and share a secret, see below.

It’s another one of my mom’s simple dishes that’s become a staple and only has three ingredients: cucumber, tomatoes and onion and two seasonings: salt and vinegar, (lime or lemon but not necessary)! Optionals are cilantro and scallions.

5 minute pickle: cucumber, tomatoes and onion and two seasonings: salt and vinegar (lime or lemon but not necessary)! 
Optionals are cilantro and scallions.

Best part? You can start eating them after only a few hours, not days or weeks like most pickles. This is not like dill pickles in a jar, it’s made fresh on the day you eat it. It has a sweetness and is not sour but there’s NO added sugar involved. 

What goes with these Cucumber Pickles? 
Goes perfectly with my mom’s Malaysian Chicken Curry (blog) or if you prefer, watch Malaysian Chicken Curry video.

Malaysian Chicken Curry bowl

or Spicy Hoisin Spare Ribs 

Spicy Hoisin Spare Ribs

How are Cucumber Pickles cooling? 
Cucumber is yin (cool) and curry is yang (hot, energizing).  The cold cucumber pickle helps to cool your body temperature down when you are on fire from the curry. Many countries have something like this, in India, they have raita which is a cooling cucumber yoghurt. 

There’s an interesting site explaining Yin and Yang here.

How to make Cucumber Pickles in 5 minutes?
As usual, I cheat by skipping the step of adding salt to the cucumbers to draw out the moisture which make them more crunchy. Definitely do this step if you have time. Just squeeze the cucumbers and drain out all the liquid before adding to the onion and tomatoes. It’s not a good idea to make this day prior because it becomes soft and soggy. 

Make Cucumber Pickle on the morning of your dinner party.

Here’s HOW…

Chop everything into cubes so they can absorb the flavors better!
Put into nice serving bowl, add salt to taste and rice vinegar a 1/3 way up the bowl.
If you have a lime or lemon, a small squirt, then toss, toss, toss! That’s it.
Cover with plate or cling film and put in fridge and take out an hour before serving.
Eleanor Hoh shares secret in Youtube video.
Click for YOUTUBE link. I share how to make this 5 minute pickle and a secret!

By adding fruits like pineapple and mango, the pickle turns into a salsa! It’s very refreshing and everyone loves this version.

Mango, Pineapple Salsa
It doesn’t matter proportion, whatever fruit you like most, add that

More interesting things about pickles…
While researching for cucumber pickles like my mom’s, the closest one I came to was this one. 

Check out this super site listing 10 countries, 10 pickles.

What about 3 Easy Pickling Options?

To this day, my sisters and I make this all the time and adore it.  Every time I serve these 5 Minute Pickles at dinner parties, guests beg me for the recipe, ha, ha. 

If you try this 5 minute pickle, let me know how you like it in comment below.

Even better, share on Instagram and tag @wokstar #wokstarway

Filed Under: blog, pickles Tagged With: 5 minute pickles, cucumber pickles, easy pickles, pickles, pickles for curry

Mango, Pineapple Salsa

June 27, 2019 By Eleanor Hoh 5 Comments

Thank you Mom! I’ve adapted your cucumber, tomato pickle by adding fresh mango and pineapple and voila, it’s now a Mango, Pineapple Salsa. This dish is so popular and well received that even chefs who cook for celebrities wanted my “recipe”. The combination of sweet mangoes and juicy, sweet pineapple is a winner! Refreshing and addictive!

It doesn’t matter proportion, whatever fruit you like most, add that.

My mom’s pickle always showed up at the table when she made spicy curries, the pickle is supposed to help “cool us down”.

It is the easiest Mango, Pineapple Salsa ever!!!

  • Cube everything, toss to mix
  • add rice vinegar, lime juice and salt
  • use a slotted spoon, keep turning, let sit covered in fridge for about 4-6 hours ON THE DAY you want to eat it. NOT overnight, that’s too long.

NOTES:
Mangoes – best are Ataulfo, also known as Champagne mangoes and for good reason, they are sweet, creamy and perfect, I get mine from Costco. Feel free to use whatever mangoes you want. Locally grown with sweet perfumes, umm. Don’t use pithy ones, they’ll wreck your experience.

Pineapple – use ripe, otherwise it’s too sour and also not juicy.

Cucumber – I love Persian, Hot House are crunchy with less seeds. Cut out seeds, they make pickles too watery.

Tomatoes – ripe ones are better, any kind whether plum, on the vine or Beefsteak work.

Rice Vinegar – I’ve used Marukan for years, but my mom used the Chinese white rice vinegar. Add in a third way up the big bowl AFTER you’ve cubed ALL the veggies and fruits. This way you’ll be able to see how much you need.

When ready to serve, drain juice into clean jar for other salads or add to sauces or soup, delish.

Serving Suggestions:
This Salsa is a great side for BBQ meats whether they’re ribs, pork or lamb chops, steaks and goes especially well with fish.

Best is with my signature Spicy Hoisin Ribs! Perfect for 4th of July or any occasion!

If any leftover salsa, add to your lunch salad and eat this up as soon as you can, it’ll get very soft and watery.

Ingredients:
2 mangoes
1 pineapple
1/2 red or yellow onion
4 Persian cucumbers
4 ripe plum tomatoes
2 scallions
handful of cilantro for last minute garnish (optional)

Seasonings:
Marukan rice vinegar
Fine ground Sea Salt
1/2 lime or lemon juice (optional)

Directions:
1. Core and cube veggies and fruits and place into a big bowl.

2. Add vinegar, salt and lime juice. Use slotted spoon and keep turning.

3. Cover with plate or Saran wrap and leave in fridge.

4. Use slotted spoon and turn a few times before draining juice prior to serving.

Enjoy and be prepared for friends asking you for the recipe, send them over here! Would love to hear what other combinations you create as your Salsa in comments.

Filed Under: blog Tagged With: "mom's recipe", mango salsa, mangoes, pickles, pineapple, salsa

Easy Kimchi no.2

October 16, 2011 By Eleanor Hoh 1 Comment

This is the easiest home made kimchi!

kimchi.jpgYou can use nearly any veggies you like! Here’s what I used:
– one chayote, cubed
– a small bag of radishes, sliced not too thin
– one carrot, sliced not too thin
My version of kimchi:
– small knob of Ginger
– dash of fish sauce
– teaspoon of red chili powder NOT flakes
– dash of rice wine vinegar
It’s ready to eat the next day but gets better & better as flavors get mixed in.  I make it right in my container, saves washing up!
Here’s my first Easy Kimchi which gives you step-by-step but I’ve simplified it even more!

Filed Under: kimchee, kimchi, Korean, pickles Tagged With: carrots, chayote, Kimchee, Kimchi, Korean, pickles, radish

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